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Topic: Does 00 flour require less water? (Read 2420 times)

I had started using a 1/2 cup more flour per 3 cups when I switched to the modified A16 recipe a few weeks ago. Then I went back to all purpose and found that the dough was too stiff and dry so I went back to 3 cups flour/1 cup water. This week I went back to 00 flour and used the 3C Flour, 1C water recipe and the dough came out too wet again (and crackery when baked). What's the story with that? Is it why people here seem to measure by weight?

FWIW, for my skill level, oven etc, I think I get just as good results with all purpose as 00 assuming I have the right flour/water amounts.

The two flours do not have the same absorption rate (hydration). The absorption rate of all-purpose flour is about 5-7% higher than 00 flour--such as the Caputo Pizzeria flour. However, I have found that if I add the flour gradually to the water and let it get absorbed gradually, I am able to get to similar hydration rates out of both flours. I weigh the water and flour, but that is not the reason why your results have been inconsistent. Assuming your volume measurements are fairly consistent from batch to batch, which may or not be true, it's mainly the differences in the two flours and how you hydrate them.

What you may want to do with the 00 flour is to add the amount of water you want to use (based on your recipe) to the mixer bowl (usually with the salt dissolved in it), and gradually add the flour (or flour/yeast mixture) while your mixer is at Stir speed. When I do it, I use a thin-blade spatula to help move the flour into the path of the dough hook to get everything mixed together as best as possible. I keep adding the flour a couple of tablespoons at a time, also at Stir speed, until I get the desired dough consistency and feel. When using oil, I usually add it toward the end of the knead process, and continue kneading at Stir or 1 speed. You want the final dough to be smooth and soft and a bit on the damp (tacky) side.

I suspect what happened in your case with the 00 dough is that the hydration was too high and the bake time was too long, causing the moisture in the dough (which is usually thin to begin with) to be driven out of the dough, producing a cracker-like crust by the time the crust has started to develop some color. This is a problem inherent in using a 00 dough in a home oven, for which it was not intended. To get better results, you may want to use a thicker dough to begin with and, if you are not already doing so, add some oil to the dough.

Thanks, that makes sense. I guess I'll try using a little more flour next time. I've been really happy with my 3c AP flour, 1 cup water, 2/3 tsp IDY and 2/3 tsp salt (dissolved in the water before adding to flour) results lately and I think I can get similar results from 00 if I can get the hydration right.

I made some Caputo 00's this weekend. I've been steadily decreasing the hydration since I started working with it. This weekend's pizzas were down around 45%. The dough felt heavy when I was forming the doughballs, but rose well and was nice and airy when I went to form the skins. The important improvement was that they held together much better than they would at 50-55%. It's still not like tossing GM All Trumps or KASL, but I prefer the flavor and lightness of a Caputo 00 crust.

I personally made very inconsistent pies before actually measuring based on weight. I didn't try different hydration techniques, but used the same process time and time again, and as a result overall my pies have become fairly consistent. Still no where near perfect, but consistent.